MONDAY, September 19, 2022 (HealthDay News). Despite all the knowledge we have about nutrition, people around the globe aren’t eating as healthy today as they did three decades ago. A new global review concluded that this is despite our best efforts to improve our diets.
The score for diets is still close to zero, with lots of Sugarprocessed meats — are more than they are to a 100-representative score that includes lots of fruits, vegetables legumes, and nuts Whole grainsReport by Tufts University researchers
Victoria Miller, the lead author, stated that while there was an increase in legumes/nuts intake over time, overall improvements in diet quality were offset by an increased intake of unhealthy components like red/processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sodium. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
The study was based on more than 1,100 diet survey data. It measured the eating habits of adults and children in 185 countries.
Researchers found that the world’s average dietary score was around 40.3, a modest, but significant 1.5 point increase between 1990 and 2018.
Scores varied greatly between regions. Averages ranged from 30.3 in Latin America and Caribbean to 45.7 in South Asia.
Only 10 countries (representing less than 1%) had diet scores above 50.
Vietnam, Iran and India were the countries with the highest diet scores. Mexico, Brazil and Egypt had the lowest.
Research found that women eat more healthily than men and that older adults eat better than younger people.
Miller stated in a university press release that healthy eating is also affected by socioeconomic factors such as education level and urbanicity. “Globally and across all regions, people with higher education and children from more educated families generally have better overall dietary quality.”
According to background notes, more than 25% of preventable deaths are caused by poor diets worldwide.
These data can be used by countries to help them develop policies that promote. Healthy eatingDr. Dariush Mozaffarian is a Friedman School cardiologist and dean of policy.
